Dear God,

May my thoughts, my words and my actions please You today, for today is a gift you gave me.  Lord, I give thanks, what is your prayer today?

Seeing Beyond Appearances

In April, 2009 during the first-round competition of “Britain’s Got Talent,” a self-admittedly “frumpy” 47-year-old woman took the stage before a panel of judges and a live audience. As she walked to center stage, a rumbling of comments and giggles could be heard from the audience, and the judges — who have a reputation for critical and even caustic assessment of the contestants — looked both amused and apprehensive.

Nothing happened to disperse the cynicism in the air during the short interview. When the woman announced that she wanted to be a professional singer like Elaine Page, her words were almost drowned out by derisive laughter. But when Susan Boyle opened her mouth and began to sing “I Dreamed a Dream” from “Les Miserables,” the audience grew hushed, then flabbergasted, and then they were on their feet cheering and clapping.

They had thought they knew what to expect because they were judging Boyle based on her appearance. When she began to sing, their expectations and their judgments were proven to be completely wrong. Not only could she sing, but she proved herself to be an extraordinarily talented person in a quite ordinary body.

Today look beyond appearances, look for the good in each person you meet, the glimpse of the divine that they have been given to share with the world.

Reflect on this Michelangelo Story

One day when Michelangelo was working in his studio (with his

hammer and chisel) a friend walked into his work area, and admired his work.  He said, “Michelangelo what a great gift to be able to carve a statue from that big chunck of marble”. 

Michelangelo said, “No, the statue is already in the marble all I do is draw it out.”  The same is true for each person we meet they have good in them, good that God put in them, we have to find that good, and draw it out.

May God Be Praised!